Media devices, such as a set top box, a computer system, or another electronic device, are configured to receive media content events that are broadcast by a media content provider over a broadcast type communication system. The media content provider concurrently broadcasts many media content events to a plurality of media devices, typically in one or more media content streams that are communicated to the media devices over a media system sourced from a remote head end facility operated by the media content provider. Non-limiting examples of such media systems include a satellite system, a cable system, a radio frequency (RF) communication system, and the Internet.
Typically, the media content event is theme based. The thematic media content event presents theme-based visual and audio content to a user for their enjoyment and/or for informative purposes. Examples of such theme-based media content events include movies, films, serial programming, sporting events, documentaries, newscasts, religious programs, commercials (typically of short duration with advertising content), or the like. Serial programming may present a continuing plot and/or theme, often with the same cast of actors, in a sequential episode-by-episode basis that is available periodically.
Users of a particular media device are able to identify the broadcast times and/or channels of particular media content events of interest by viewing an Electronic Program Guide (EPG). Typically, the EPG presents information about the broadcast schedule of the media content events. The EPG, for any particular media content event, indicates a scheduled broadcast start time, a scheduled broadcast end time, a channel identifier that identifies the channel that is broadcasting the media content event, and supplemental information describing the media content event (such as the title and/or other descriptive information).
In some situations, the user of the media device may configure their media device to record a currently broadcasting media content event and/or a media content event that is scheduled for future broadcast to the media device. Here, the media device is configured to begin recording (storing) at a recording start time and end recording at a recording end time. The recording end and start times are determinable from the EPG information which specifies the scheduled broadcast start time and the scheduled broadcast end time for the selected media content event. In some media devices, the user may specify the recording start and end times, and the broadcasting channel (identified by a channel identifier), to define a recording of a particular media content event of interest.
As the selected media content event is being received at the media device during its broadcast, the received media content event is stored into a recording media in accordance with the recording request initiated by the user. That is, the media device determines the recording start time (which corresponds to the EPG information that specifies the scheduled broadcast start time) and the recording end time (which corresponds to the EPG information that specifies the scheduled broadcast end time). When the recording start time occurs (when the actual time reaches the recording start time), the media device tunes to the channel (identified in the EPG information) that is broadcasting the selected media content event, and then begins the process of recording the broadcasting media content event. When the recording end time is reached (when the actual broadcasting time reaches the recording end time), the recording process ends.
Often, the user is not present to personally view the recorded media content event as it is being received by the media device. Thus, the user may later view the recorded media content event at their convenience.
In some instances, the recording start time does not match the actual broadcast start time. For example, an actual broadcast end time of a preceding broadcasting media content event on (being broadcasted on the same channel as the media content event to be recorded) extends beyond its scheduled broadcast end time. Accordingly, the conclusion of this preceding broadcasting media content event extends beyond the recording start time of the user-specified media content event to be recorded. Therefore, this concluding portion of the preceding broadcasting media content event will be recorded in error, and then the initial portion of the user-specified media content event to be recorded will start to be recorded by the media device. As the scheduled recording end time is reached (in real time), the user-specified media content event to be recorded may not have yet concluded. When the recording process ends (based on the recording end time), this concluding portion of the user-specified media content event to be recorded will not be recorded. Often, such failure to record the concluding portion of a media content event is very frustrating to the user. Further, the viewing user may have to view, or at least fast forward through, the concluding portion of the preceding broadcasting media content event, which may also be undesirable and frustrating to the user.
Various approaches to resolving the failure to record the concluding portion of the user-specified media content event have been devised. For example, some media devices are configured to automatically adjust the recording start time and or recording end time by some predefined duration (amount of time). That is, the EPG specified scheduled broadcast start time is identified, and then the predefined duration is added thereto to define the recording start time, such as one or more minutes. Similarly, the EPG specified scheduled broadcast end time is identified, and then the predefined duration is added thereto to define the recording end time. Thus, it is very probable that the entirety of the media content event will be recorded (along with some beginning portion of the preceding broadcasted media content event, which the user may simply ignore).
Yet in some instances, the concluding portion of the media content event may not be recorded. For example, the actual broadcast end time of the preceding broadcasting media content event may extend beyond the adjusted recording end time of the user-specified media content event to be recorded, such as when a sporting event play time is extended by one or more overtime play periods, or a broadcast of the preceding broadcasting media content event is interrupted by a special news event report.
Accordingly, there is a need in the arts to further improve the process of recording media content events so as to ensure that the entirety of the media content event is reliably recorded.